diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-teller/cmd/mesh-delivery-teller/assignerasks.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-teller/cmd/mesh-delivery-teller/assignerasks.go
index 7e5dd9d4..e5f7ab28 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-teller/cmd/mesh-delivery-teller/assignerasks.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-teller/cmd/mesh-delivery-teller/assignerasks.go
@@ -191,10 +191,11 @@ func (t *Teller) raiseAssignerAsk(key string) {
 		return
 	}
 	if err := t.Asker.Ask(a.Ask); err != nil {
-		t.logf("%s: the ask %s was not asked: %v", key, id, err)
-		if kept, _, _ := t.keptOf(id); open(kept) {
-			_ = t.Store.Delete(keptKey(id)) // kept but not published: forgotten, so the next writing of the key asks it
-		}
+		// Kept but not published (a transport fault, the router restarting): nothing writes the key again, so the ask is not
+		// forgotten but waits, kept on the bus, to be asked again at the next end and at the teller's start (issue 1966,
+		// ADR 0668 §1). Before, the record was deleted for "the next writing of the key", which never came.
+		t.logf("%s: the ask %s was not asked: %v; it waits to be asked again at the next end and at the start", key, id, err)
+		t.unheard(id)
 		return
 	}
 	t.assignerAsked(id)
diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-teller/cmd/mesh-delivery-teller/assignerasks_test.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-teller/cmd/mesh-delivery-teller/assignerasks_test.go
index 8420dcbc..1604f9df 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-teller/cmd/mesh-delivery-teller/assignerasks_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-teller/cmd/mesh-delivery-teller/assignerasks_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"slices"
 
 	"encoding/json"
@@ -34,6 +35,28 @@ func TestAnAssignerAskIsRaisedOnTheOperatorChannelOnce(t *testing.T) {
 	if got.ID != ask.ID || occ.Digest(got) != occ.Digest(ask) {
 		t.Errorf("the router's ask %+v differs from the assigner's", got)
 	}
+	// Issue 1966, ADR 0668 §1: a publish that fails (the router restarting) is not forgotten: the ask waits, kept, and is
+	// asked at the teller's next start (or the next end), though nothing writes the assigner's key again.
+	b = newBed(t)
+	assigner, _ = withView(b)
+	assigner[key] = value
+	publish, failed := b.client.Publish, false
+	b.client.Publish = func(subject string, body any, id string) error {
+		if subject == oc.AcceptSubjectAsk(tellerModule) && !failed {
+			failed = true
+			return errors.New("nats: no responders available for request")
+		}
+		return publish(subject, body, id)
+	}
+	b.t.Publish = b.client.Publish
+	b.t.OnAssignerAsk(key)
+	if asked := b.askedOf(oc.AcceptSubjectAsk(tellerModule)); !failed || len(asked) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("published %d asks through a failing publish", len(asked))
+	}
+	b.t.OnCurrent()
+	if asked := b.askedOf(oc.AcceptSubjectAsk(tellerModule)); len(asked) != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("after a failed publish and a start, published %d asks, want one; log:\n%s", len(asked), b.logs.String())
+	}
 }
 
 // 1906/H1: without the view's bucket the assigner's asks are still raised.